Subject-Verb Agreement

The Basic Rule

The verb must agree with its subject in number:

• Singular subject → singular verb: The cat runs.
• Plural subject → plural verb: The cats run.

Tricky Cases

Collective nouns (team, family, jury) can take singular or plural verbs depending on whether you're thinking of them as a unit or as individuals. In British English, both are common:

• The team is winning. (as a unit)
• The team are arguing. (as individuals)

Indefinite pronouns like everyone, someone, nobody, each, either, neither are singular:

• Everyone is welcome. / Each student has a book.

Neither…nor / Either…or — the verb agrees with the nearer subject:

• Neither the teacher nor the students are ready.
• Neither the students nor the teacher is ready.

Words that look plural but are singular:

• Mathematics is my favourite subject.
• The news is shocking.
• Physics is difficult.

Words that look singular but are plural:

• The scissors are on the table.
• The trousers are too long.